Pharmacist did not do enough to protect public: board

Paul Gill has licence suspended for five months, on five-year probationary period

Pharmacist Paul Gill has been taken to task by an adjudication tribunal under the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board.

Gill, the tribunal found, failed to properly supervise a pharmacist at the Downtown Pharmacy on Water Street in St. John's.

Gill was pharmacist-in-charge while Ann Marie Burke was working at the Downtown Pharmacy. Burke illegally obtained prescription narcotics while still working as a pharmacist - feeding her own addiction to painkillers while also trafficking in the drugs.

It has not been stated the source of her drugs was her own pharmacy and indeed the drugs found to be in her possession can be obtained from other sources illegally. In October 2011 she was sentenced to two years and 31 days behind bars for drug-related charges and breaching court orders.

The tribunal did not state Burke's case was the reason for the review of Gill's work.

According to a summary of the tribunal decision against Gill, released today, he "did not comply with his responsibilities" while acting as former pharmacist-in-charge at Downtown Pharmacy from 2007-2010.

It states he failed to properly supervise a pharmacist and did not take action when inappropriate behaviour of a pharmacist at his worksite was reported.

"During that period on a number of occasions (Gill) was made aware of allegations against a staff pharmacist at his pharmacy and neither did anything to address the problems or allegations nor bring this issue to the attention of the (board)," states the decision summary, signed by secretary-registrar for the board, Don Rowe.

"(Gill) did not remove the pharmacist from her duties, but continued to allow her to practise, mostly unsupervised, at Downtown Pharmacy."

Gill denied having any knowledge of the inappropriate activities when told his actions as a supervisor were being investigated, the board has stated.

In a statement of admission submitted to the tribunal, Gill stated he had violated the Pharmacy Act (section 12.1), pharmacy regulations and the code of ethics, relating to the responsibilities of a pharmacist-in-charge.

With a joint submission for penalty, the tribunal has determined Gill will have his licence suspended for five months.

Gill was first restricted from being able to be a pharmacist-in-charge in November 2011. That restriction will continue to November 2016, at which time he may apply to have that ability re-instated.

In his future work, Gill will be subject to periodic inspections and audits by a pharmacy board representative.

He will also have to inform the pharmacist-in-charge at any pharmacy where he works of the tribunal decision for a five-year period.

HBG

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